Largest collector of gongs in Central Highlands

Y Thim Byă has become the largest collector of gongs and jars and the
first person to open a private cultural museum in the Central Highlands
province of Dak Lak.

After 20 years of
collecting, Y Thim Byă now owns 30 Tuk and Tang jars, 18 sets of ancient
gongs with over 300 gongs from the ethnic minority groups of Gia Rai, E
De and M’Nong, dozens of Kpan chairs (chair of master of the house) and
hundreds of artifacts such as bowls, cups and bracelets.

“The number of his ancient gongs is more than that of the people in Ea
Bong village”, said Y Than Nie K’, the village’s patriarch.

Inspired by a set of ancient gongs thrown away by a local, Y Thim Byă
felt sad and decided to buy them back. Since then, he has travelled many
places to buy back Kpan and Jhong chairs, gongs, jars and other old
musical instruments.

At present, his house in Ea
Bong village, Buon Ma Thuot city has become a popular destination for
tourists who want to explore the Central Highlands region’s culture.

Y Thim Byă added that he is continuing to build
another house, with a total investment of 300 million VND to finish off
his cultural museum.

He has also set up a gongs team
to perform at traditional festivals and community cultural activities
such as buffalo sacrificing festival and new rice festivals.

Apart from collecting ancient objects, Y Thim Byă has also made many
kinds of traditional musical instruments such as Kram gongs, T’rung,
Pah, Buot, Tak Tar, horn. He has also taught young people how to use
these instruments, thereby helping to maintain and develop the special
cultural values unique to the Central Highlands people./.